This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present invention, which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present invention. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
Oil and natural gas have a profound effect on modern economies and societies. Indeed, devices and systems that depend on oil and natural gas are ubiquitous. For instance, oil and natural gas are used for fuel in a wide variety of vehicles, such as cars, airplanes, boats, and the like. Further, oil and natural gas are frequently used to heat homes during winter, to generate electricity, and to manufacture an astonishing array of everyday products.
In order to meet the demand for such natural resources, companies often invest significant amounts of time and money in searching for and extracting oil, natural gas, and other subterranean resources from the earth. Particularly, once a desired resource is discovered below the surface of the earth, drilling and production systems are often employed to access and extract the resource. These systems may be located onshore or offshore depending on the location of a desired resource. Further, such systems generally include a wellhead assembly through which the resource is extracted. These wellhead assemblies may include a wide variety of components, such as various casings, valves, fluid conduits, and the like, that control drilling and/or extraction operations. Additionally, such wellhead assemblies may also include components, such as a hangers, tubing, and the like, disposed within the bore of the wellhead assemblies.
The hangers, tubing, or other components disposed within the wellhead assemblies are often secured with a lock screw. The lock screw inserts though a casing spool, tubing spool, or other component of the wellhead assembly and engages a hanger, mandrel tubing, or other internal component. The casing spool, tubing spool, or other component that receives the screw typically includes threaded receptacles that enable rotation of the lock screw into engagement with the component.
Such lock screws may include seals so that the screw provides sealing against the casing spool, tubing spool, or other component of the wellhead assembly after insertion. However, the rotational insertion or removal of the lock screw may cause friction on the seals of the screw, causing degradation and eventual failure of the seals. Additionally, rotational engagement or disengagement of the lock screw may cause undesirable friction against the hanger, mandrel, or other interior component of the wellhead assembly.